9 Days Beijing Sights & Yangtze Cruise

Tour Code: YCT03
Tour Duration: 9
DaysDestination: Beijing, Chongqing, YichangTour overview:
Even though this tour may only visit a few cities in China, it will allow you to see some of the most spectacular sites China has to offer. Your tour will Begin and end in Beijing, China’s capital. Beijing is known for its history and imperial splendor. You will visit some of the most famous of Chinese sites. On your Yangtze River Cruise, you will relax as you cruise through the Three Gorges. After your cruise, you will be flown back to Beijing.

Shore excursion to the Three Gorges Dam Site. Arrive in Yichang at 1:00PM, be met at the dock and transferred to airport for flight to Beijing.
Arrive in Beijing, be met and transferred to hotel.
Details...

Free at leisure till be transferred to airport for your flight departure.
Details...

B

Season

Tour Class

Group Size

Single RoomSupplement

1pax

2-5pax

6-9pax

Peak Season

3*(Tourist Class)

$2487

$2018

$1885

$230

4*(Deluxe Class)

$2727

$2138

$2005

$350

5*(First Class)

$2941

$2245

$2112

$457

1. Normally hotels allow a maximum of 3 adults per room with an extra bed, at extra charge.
Some hotels will allow three adults and a small child.
2. Tour price is indicative only, please enquire for a detailed quotation.
3. More people more discounts. Please enquire for more details.

Price Inclusions and Exclusions

Price Include

A. Entrance fees：To scenic spots as listed above in the itinerary. B. Meals: All meals as specified in the itinerary. C. Private Transfers: Among airports, hotels and scenic spots while sightseeing in the above cities by the private air conditioned vehicle. D. Guide and Driver: As outlined in the itinerary, a well selected English-speaking guide and driver will accompany you throughout the entire tour in that city. They do not fly with you from one city to another. E. Hotels: Hotel Based on two persons sharing one room with twin beds. All hotels as listed in the above itinerary serve daily western or Chinese breakfast. All rooms are air-conditioned with private facilities unless specified. F. Luggage Transfers: Between airports and hotels. G. Service Charge & Government Taxes. H. Travel insurance in mainland China during the above travel period. I. Arrangements: The tour cost includes planning, handling, operational and communication charges.

Price Exclude

A. Entry or Exit China International Airfare or train tickets. B. Visa Fees. C. Excess Baggage Charges. D. Personal Expenses: Expenses of a purely personal nature such as laundry, drinks, fax, telephone call, optional activities, sightseeing or meals which are not included in the itinerary. E. Meals: Any meals which are not specified with "B", "L" or "D". F. Single Room Supplement. G. Insurance coverage of personal loss, illness or damages incurred during your trip. H. Gratuities, Tips to Guides and Drivers.

Day 1 Beijing Arrival

Transfer via: Flight on your own arrangement

Upon your arrival you will be greeted by our local guide and then transferred to your hotel by a private air-conditioned car. For the rest of the day you will enjoy some leisure time.

Day 2 Beijing (B, L)

Sightseeing: Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City

This morning our tour will begin with a visit of theTemple of Heaven, which was completed in 1420, and expanded over the years by two Qing Dynasty Emperors. It was the place where the Emperor came every winter solstice to worship heaven and to solemnly pray for a good harvest. With the three blue-tiled cone-shaped roofs, a unique wooden and blue-tiled structure built without a nail, it has become a worldwide symbol of Beijing.

After lunch, we will go on our city tour to visit Tiananmen Square, the symbolical heart of China and gathering place for the masses. It is the biggest public square in the world, which can hold one million people.

From here we will walk across the Golden River Bridge to visit the Forbidden City and experience the ancient Emperor's daily life. For 5 centuries Chinese emperors carried out their administration here. With almost 10,000 rooms, it was the centre of the Ming and Qing dynasties, a massive complex of palaces, pavilions, courtyards and gardens where 24 emperors used to live. Forbidden City was the largest palace in the world, and in the past it was indeed a forbidden place for commoners. Your tour here will include private access to the Emperor's palace.

Day 3 Beijing (B, L)

Sightseeing: Badaling Great Wall, Ming Tombs, Sacred Way

After experiencing the royal lifestyle, today we will be transferred to the surrounding countryside of Beijing and visit the Badaling Great Wall, the pride of China and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Whereas Genghis Khan contemplated it as a military obstacle, Richard Nixon described it as one of humankind's greatest achievements. You will be able to climb and walk one of the best preserved sections of the 2,000 years old ancient wall, admiring the splendid mountain views. Bring a jacket and layer- although it is breezy, the climbing is tough. So be in a good shape!

In the afternoon we will visit the legendary Ming Tombs, which are situated at the foot of Heavenly Longevity Mountain, Changping, northwest of Beijing. Since there are 13 Ming emperors buried there, this place was called the 13 Ming Tombs. You will walk along the Sacred Way, a road guarded by stone statues on both sides, as the ancient emperors did to hold a memorial ceremony for their ancestors. In addition, you will encounter the marble tombs of the Ming Dynasty emperors.

Day 4 Beijing (B, L)

Sightseeing: Hutongs, Summer Palace

We will experience a unique Hutongtour by taking a rickshaw this morning. Hutongs are a kind of ancient city alley or lane and are very typical for Beijing. Most of them can be found close to the Forbidden City, and many were built during the three dynasties of Yuan, Ming and Qing. Today, the Hutong is a living museum of Beijing history showing the traditional lifestyle of Beijing people.

We will continue by visiting the Summer Palace. Equally famous as the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace is called 'Yiheyuan' (Garden of Nurtured Harmony) in Chinese. Until nowadays, it is the best preserved and the largest imperial garden in China. You will regret it if you leave Beijing without having visited this grand imperial garden.

Day 5 Beijing to Chongqing / Yangtze Cruise (B, L)

There you will meet your local guide and visit Goose Neck Park, which is located in the city urban area and has a good view of the city and the roiling Yangtze River.

Afterwards, you will see Ciqikou Old Town, in the city urban area. It dates back to the late Ming Dynasty. The buildings have been restored and well preserved. You will find a lot of restaurants, souvenir shops and local snacks. If you are interested, you can attend daily performances of traditional Chinese music in one of the tea houses.

The next stop will be the Panda Roomin Chongqing Zoo, where you can see charming naive giant panda, lesser pandas and their offspring.

In the evening, your local guide will transfer you to the dock by a private air-conditioned car to pre-board the ship. Then your guide will leave the boat and your cruise will start at about 10pm.

Fengdu, with fantastic temples of underworld demons and gods, is constructed on the Mingshan Hill by the river band. It is known as the "Ghost City" and is a place for punishing the devil and awarding the good.

Wanxian is one of the most important and largest ports on the Yangtze. It is widely known for its variety and hustling markets. Fifty percent of the city will be resettled after the Three Gorges Dam Project is completed.

Day 7 Yangtze Criuse (B, L, D)

Sightseeing: Shennong Stream

08:00-13:00: Passing through Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge.
13:00-16:30: Boat excursion to Shennong Stream.
17:30: Passing through Xiling Gorge.
Shennong Stream is another tributary of the Yangtze River, and its fast-flowing, clear water runs southwards through deep gorges. The stream races past large and small karst caves, flocks of swallows, sheer cliffs, deep gorges, waterfalls, three-colored springs, rapids, the ancient plank path, a suspended coffin in the cliff, groups of ancient tombs and marvelous karts' formations.

Day 8 Yangtze Cruise to Yichang to Beijing (B, L)

Transfer via: Flight arranged by us Sightseeing: Three Gorges Dam

08:00-10:00: Shore excursion to the Three Gorges Dam Site.
13:00: Disembark at Yichang

Three Gorges Dam is the largest water conservancy project undertaken by man. Formally, the construction of the dam began in 1994. The body of the dam was completed in 2003, and the whole construction will be completed in 2009. It will be 2,335 meters long, 185 meters high, 18 meters wide on the top and 130 meters wide at the bottom. Tourists can get access to the top of the dam.

After you disembarked from the ship, you will be met and transferred to the airport to take your flight to Beijing. Our local guide will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel.

Day 9 Beijing Departure (B)

Transfer via: Flight on your own arrangement

Today will be free for your own purposes, until our guide will escort you to the airport for your next destination.

Hi Molly,
The tour was great. Both guide and driver are very friendly and helpful. For the meals on the trip, so much food and delicious dishes.
We loved t... Read more »

I must extend our thanks to you and the
Tour Guide for this trip Peter. The trip was fun and informative.

Hi Stella,

I must extend our thanks to you and the Tour Guide for this trip Peter (Hope i didn't get his name wrong) .

The trip was fun and informative. Peter is extremely caring and helpful to all the guests who participated in this group trip to Mutianyu great wall & Ming Tombs tour. He made sure nobody was left out of left behind. He is very polite and attentive to our needs.

Peter also made sure we are safe, he was concerned about the distance if the guests could find their hotel or find their way back to their hotel. I must thank Peter for insisting to drop us near our hotel where we CAN see our hotel building at least.

I hope you can let Peter know that he's an awesome guide and the Americans and the rest of us had so much fun.

Best Regards,

Serene Zhou & Ernest

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This is a tour agency in China that provides private English tours. I booked a 1 person private tour with these people for 4 days trip in Harbin for the Winter festiva... Read more »

This is a tour agency in China that provides private English tours. If I needed another private tour, would I use them again? Definitely!! I would recommend them for the service too.

This is a tour agency in China that provides private English tours. I booked a 1 person private tour with these people for 4 days trip in Harbin for the Winter festival and I think it was really worth it.

I booked a 4 day tour in Harbin with them at the last minute and the person I contacted was Molly, who did all the arrangements for me. They pulled it off at the last minute, and around Chinese new year too! I contacted them just before Chinese New year and they responded really quick (yes, China time is 3 hours behind Sydney, so my responses came after 12pm local time each day). She even told me they will be on public holiday from Chinese New Year until Monday the 11th of Feb and then on Monday the 11th of Feb, I got a message from her back with a quote from the local partners first thing, so I was able to make other arrangements quickly, like getting my plane tickets, and visa.

Molly provided me with an itinerary and a quote and I was happy with it, costed $1560 AUD including single non-shared accommodation (I chose 3 star accommodation because I am not fussy about the hotel), breakfast, private transport, pick up and drop off from airport, driver, and an English speaking guide all for myself, so I had 2 people helping me out during my time there, plus entry tickets to all the attractions, for 4 days. I saw a local Australian tour company that had a 5 day Harbin group tour for $1525 AUD with a maximum of 12 people, but it’s really a 3 day tour because that tour lets people arrive in Beijing, then everyone catches the train overnight to Harbin, and days 2-4 are spent sightseeing before catching the train back to Beijing on the 5th day, plus there was another tour company that offered private tours that quoted over $2000 AUD for a similar itinerary, so I believe it was money well spent. My itinerary included the Ice and Snow world, Snow Sculptures and skiing.

Molly gave me the name and contact details of my guide (Allison) as soon as one was allocated to me, and I contacted her on Wechat (a Chinese messenger phone app). Allison is pleasant and speaks English well. The driver helped put my luggage in the car. Allison was knowledgeable and I was impressed that she was flexible and had the sense to check with the local contacts immediately upon picking me up from the airport and getting into the car, to see if the attractions I wanted to see were still open.

Allison took photos for me, and was pretty good at it, and told me lots of relevant history and behind the scenes stories, for example, how the ice blocks are harvested from the river with people standing on the frozen river, drilling holes along the perimeter of the block as deep as it is thick, and connecting them with a saw and lifting them out with a crane; how the Dao in Laodaowai refers to the railway the Russians built when they came to Harbin, and forced the locals out of the railway/developed area, hence the name Lao “Old” Dao “Railway” Wai “outside” refers to outside the railway area.

As a local, she also helped me haggle a better price for the candied fruit sticks (Bing Tang Hu Lu) and I learnt that the Modern (Ma Die Er) Ice cream block is so named because it used to be sold from the Modern Hotel/shop and they were never individually packaged, rather, sold in tubs, so technically it’s only authentic if you buy it from the Modern shop on Central Street. (There is a shop with an oval red neon sign with 1906 on it.), and the original flavours are Original and Coffee (maybe something else, I forgot), the fruit flavours are new, so I recommend the original one. I saw reviews saying it's not that good - last time I was there in the summer I had one and didn't think it lived up to it's reputation because I ate a different branded one, so go for the authentic one at ￥10 each for the original flavour. (same price as the shop in the domestic airport in Harbin). They come on a stick, I haven't see the scoop ones.

Allison also took great care of me as a friend, and helped me walk around on slippery snow/ice and gave me some bandaids and heat packs when I got some grazes from the snow shoe walking around, and warned me not to go onto the frozen lake.

The car I used was a private car, in China, cars are allowed on road according to the numbers on the license plate, to limit the maximum number of cars on the road each day. Thankfully my itinerary was relaxed so there was some space to move around to get everything done, while still being within the permitted days for the car (if it’s outside, you can still have the car on the roads I was told, but just further from the attraction than if it was on a permitted day, which means a little more walking. I got door to door service every day!). It was clean and comfortable inside. Larger groups get coaches.

If I needed another private tour, would I use them again? Definitely!! I would recommend them for the service too. The driver was very professional and like another reviewer said, did not talk all the time, and didn't ask random personal info like local taxi drivers might. Wasn't too much 'awkward silence' either cause I talked with the guide in the back seat.

I got dropped off at the airport and Allison took me directly to the check in counter and they knew exactly which counter and flight I was taking (gave them the info before arriving, was surprised they kept it) so the driver drove me right up to the correct entry. Best service!

Best wishes,

Qiao Wenshu

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Hello Sandy,
Thank you for your request. We had a
wonderful day, even though we experienced exactly the snow on the Chinese wall.
The tour... Read more »

We had a wonderful day. The tour was well
organized. We would also book it again with you. The tour guide was awesome! A
big praise. She patiently answered all the questions, was funny, responded to
the group. That was really great.

Hello Sandy,

Thank you for your request. We had a
wonderful day, even though we experienced exactly the snow on the Chinese wall.
The tour was well organized. We would also book it again with you.

The Ming Tombs were interesting, but of
course the Great Wall of China was the highlight for us. And despite the snow,
it was an experience. Somewhat hectic was the climb from lunch (by the way
very, very delicious!) But I know that this was only due to the weather that
day.

The tour guide was awesome! A big praise.
She patiently answered all the questions, was funny, responded to the group.
That was really great.

If I come back in 2 years with a group, we
would like to book again the same tour (maybe without snow ....) with the same
tour guide.

Our heartfelt thanks!

Viele Grüße

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Hi Sandie!
Thanks for your email! We are both doing
fine and have happy memories of the time we spent touring China, thanks to you!
We are ... Read more »

Each and every city was thoroughly explored
with the wonderful guides and drivers that you arranged for us. We also
enjoyed every hotel that you reserved for us. We especially enjoyed each guide,
their knowledge, courtesy, and personality! We had a thoroughly wonderful time
in China and thank you for all the work you did to plan it for us. Should
we ever visit China again, we will contact you to assist us!

Hi Sandie!

Thanks for your email! We are both doing
fine and have happy memories of the time we spent touring China, thanks to you!

We are home now (since early
February) and planning our next trip in Mexico for April.

We totally enjoyed our time in China,
despite the fact that it was cooler than we had planned for/expected. Each and
every city was thoroughly explored with the wonderful guides and drivers that
you arranged for us. We also enjoyed every hotel that you reserved for
us, as we did the flights, as well. The only semi-negative comment was that the
Guilin hotel heat situation was sub-par.

We especially enjoyed each guide, their
knowledge, courtesy, and personality! They often showed us much more than we
expected and worked very hard to make all connections efficiently, etc.

I did complete feedback forms for each
guide in each city. I hope that they forwarded them to you. They were likely to
be more thorough than what I just wrote to you.

The
bottom line, though, was that we had a thoroughly wonderful time in China and
thank you for all the work you did to plan it for us. Should we ever
visit China again, we will contact you to assist us!

If
you ever visit Seattle, Washington, please let me know and I/we will show you
around our beautiful city and environs.

Thanks
again!

Nancy and Pricha (Tuksaudom)

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Hello Sandy,
Hope you had a nice weekend. Thanks for being patient. Here's what we thought of the trip.
Overall, we had a wonderful trip! You planne... Read more »

We had a wonderful trip! You planned and coordinated everything really well. We especially appreciated all your help on the first day when we missed our train and got stranded in Beijing~THANK YOU! Everything went smoothly and our guides were most accommodating. Most of them were quite fluent and we don't have any problem understanding them. I will definitely recommend you to my friends and seek you out if I visit China the future.

Hello Sandy,

Hope you had a nice weekend. Thanks for being patient. Here's what we thought of the trip.

Overall, we had a wonderful trip! You planned and coordinated everything really well. We especially appreciated all your help on the first day when we missed our train and got stranded in Beijing~THANK YOU!

Everything went smoothly and our guides were most accommodating. Most of them were quite fluent and we don't have any problem understanding them. It was great to have their help dealing with hotel checking-ins and transportation details. It was very convenient and helpful. Having to move in and out of hotels daily and trying to catch all those train on time are very stressful ~ A big "Thanks" for all their help.

I want you to know that we consider Jackie Zhang (our guide for Zhangye & Dunhuang) to be the BEST of all the guides we encountered on this trip. She is enthusiastic, meticulous and extremely knowledgeable. You can tell that she enjoys her job tremendously!

My observation ~ Most "Foreign Visitors" don't always have a base knowledge of the history of the places they are visiting. A SHORT & CONCISE explanation is better than a long and winding narrative. It should not be assumed that one formula works for everyone. Some visitors are more knowledgeable than others and vice versa.

We enjoyed all the sights we visited on this trip tremendously. That said, there are some room for improvements.

The one disappointment for me was the visit to Qinghai Lake. It was too commercialized. It would have been so much better if we were able to stop by the lake area BEFORE the visitor center where it was much more pristine and unspoiled. After all, we are there to take it the natural beauty of the area after all.

Our guide and driver was most accommodating when we asked them to stop by the side of the road in order for us to photograph herds of YAK and sheep. It was the highlight of the trip for me! I am sure other visitors will feel the same way.

My suggestion ~ Maybe some sort of arrangements can be made with local farmers that owned land along the Qinghai lake for a short stop over in your future tours? This way, your visitors can have wonderful opportunities to photograph and experience the scenery and lifestyle of the local people.

My observation ~ In Turpan, the Turpan Museum would have been a BETTER choice than the visit to the Karez well system (Kan'erjing Museum). There is really nothing much to see here.

The International Grand Bazaar was also a bit of a disappointment, it was too touristy. I think we would find it much more interesting if we have the opportunity to visit a local street market instead.

We rode a donkey cart at the Flaming Mountains. It was great fun! I think this should be included in the future and its a great way to help the local make some extra money too. You agree?

Hotels ~ We still prefer staying at International Brand hotels. We really liked the Sofitel Hotels (in Xian & Xining) and the Sheraton in Urumqi.

We find the service and breakfast food selection available at the local brand hotels are still somewhat lacking compared to the International Brand hotels.

Food ~ We had some amazing and some mediocre food on this trip. The quality of the meal is inconsistent. I guess it depended a lot on your local tour coordinators?

I hope our observations and honest suggestions are helpful to you. Please do not consider this is as criticism of our trip but as suggestions for improvements. We had lots of fun and we hope you'll be able to attract more visitors to your tour. I will definitely recommend you to my friends and seek you out if I visit China the future.

I have attached the "corrected" photo and an extra one taken at the Flaming Mountains. You have our permission to include all three of the photos along with the following review to your website. I will write a review for TripAdvisor.com later.

Custom Tailoring: Design your own tour with our help to meet your
unique interests. You don't have to compromise. Do exactly what you want to do!
Let us assist you to tailor-make your own China experience.

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Our team is waiting for you questions. Please feel free to ask us any questions you might have about our China package tours, Chinese culture, or the sites available. We will gladly help you with any special needs you might have and all questions, like our trip designing is completely free of charge.

What Our Customers Say

Hi Molly,
The tour was great. Both guide and driver are very friendly and helpful. For the meals on the trip, so much food and delicious dishes.
We loved the trip. Thanks for all your help.
Best wishes,
Brandon
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